Contagiously
by PyroQueenOfFire
Summary: Beth Michaels works for Brooke Davis, her best friend since the Clothes Over Bros empire was launched...and they're falling for each other...they're in uncharted territory...Brooke/OC; femslash
1. Shots

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Okay, I'm not amazing at slash or anything, but I'm learning, and I figured why not write about Brooke Davis?**

**Obviously this is AU, and Brooke's love interest is an OC so I can control that character **_**completely**_**, and she works for Brooke as a co-designer—kind of like Alexander, only she's always there, and has been there to help Brooke and everything since Brooke and Victoria went into business together.**

**This takes place Season 6.**

**WARNINGS: Language, Slash, Sensuality, Future f/f**

****

Beth Michaels took a deep breath as she opened up Clothes Over Bros early Monday morning, setting her things down and sitting in the back. She always got to the store right before Milly showed, and started working on designs and looking over Brooke's from the night before to give her support and feedback. Honestly it was the best job that Beth had ever had, and she was glad to have the opportunity to work for someone as talented as Brooke Davis.

They were both 19 when Brooke decided to go into business with her mother, and they met at a bar. Brooke was trying to figure out if she had made the right decision, and Beth was looking for a way to forget High School and move on with her life. Luck would have it that the two were hitting on the same guy and instead ended up spending the whole night bonding with each other. Victoria wasn't very happy with the strangely struck up friendship, but Brooke and Beth wouldn't have it any other way.

"Morning, Beth." Milly said brightly, setting down her bags.

Beth looked up and beamed at her. "Hey, Milly. I figured _I'd_ get the coffee this morning…is that okay with you?"

"Um…yeah, that's fine." Milly told her nodding. "I mean if you really _want_ to."

"Yeah." Beth nodded, pushing her blonde hair off of her shoulders. "Brookie and I had a couple of different kinds we wanted to try from the café down the way, so I figured I'd just go order a whole bunch. Want anything?"

Milly shook her head and then bustled off to find some other things to do, Beth heading out with her purse to the café. She walked there briskly, knowing that by the time she got back to Clothes Over Bros, Brooke would be there, so she ordered all of the things she and Brooke had talked about the day before, and then went back. Brooke was having a hard time dealing with Angie and with Victoria on her case about the company, and Beth knew that Brooke needed _someone_ to brighten her day.

"I'm back!" Beth announced happily, carrying the coffees.

Brooke looked up from her sketch. "Thank God!"

"I come bearing four different kinds of coffee too." Beth said merrily, coming into the back of the store and smiling sadly at Brooke. "And _someone_ looks like they need some coffee _really_ bad."

"Yeah, that's about how I feel." Brooke admitted, walking over to Beth.

Brooke looked stunning that day even though she was just in a skirt and a top she'd designed for the company. Her hair was pulled back which signaled she was trying to wind down, and she reached for the closest coffee to her as Beth smiled at her fondly. Beth _knew_ she had a bit of a girl crush on Brooke, but she was certain it was _purely_ business related—it was that she was entirely jealous and in awe of the things that Brooke could do.

"That's a peppermint mocha." Beth said quickly as Brooke went to sip the coffee, realizing she must have been staring at her. "Is it good."

Brooke swallowed, made a face and laughed. "It's _strong_, is what it is."

"Well maybe that's a good sign." Beth said shrugging. "Try the caramel macchiato with two espresso shots a pinch of hazelnut—the one closest to me."

"You first—I'm your boss, so you're my guinea pig." Brooke replied with a smile.

Beth smiled back and nodded, sipping the coffee and then nodding approvingly, handing it to Brooke. Brooke sipped it and then shook her head, shooting Beth a playful look as Beth laughed loudly. She pointed her pen at Beth and sat back down to her sketch, handing Beth some ideas and shaking her head some more at how strong and interesting that one had been too.

"If I didn't like you so much, I would fire you." Brooke teased.

Beth smiled at her and took off her jacket as she settled in. "If that's not a compliment, I don't know what is."

**

"Anybody home?" Haley called, walking into the store and smiling a little. "Hey, Beth."

Beth smiled as she checked the till. "Hey, Hales. Brooke is in the back sketching like crazy—she's in a mood. She'd probably like to see you."

"Thanks for letting me know." Haley replied, and then she headed into the back room to talk to Brooke.

Beth knew that she shouldn't be, but she was jealous of Brooke's and Haley's friendship. They were just so close to each other and Beth knew that Brooke trusted Haley whole-heartedly and Beth hoped someday Brooke would look at _her_ like that. They'd only been friends for four years now, but that was really all it had taken for Beth to become _completely_ and _utterly_ attached to Brooke.

Brooke felt the same way—she trusted Beth with her store and with her personal issues, she was just a little weary of her. Sometimes when she and Beth teased each other and joked about, Brooke had a feeling that it was more like flirting than it was just friendly, platonic banter. There was nothing wrong with same sex couples—Brooke could care less—but it was still new territory for her because she'd always seen herself as straight…even if love was love to her…even if sometimes Brooke had entertained the idea.

Haley kissed the top of Brooke's head and hugged her, knowing that giving Angie back to her parents was hard for her. She wondered where Peyton was, but she didn't want to bring that up with Brooke, who was having a hard enough time already and didn't need to be burdened with it. Beth just smiled and went back to her work, trying to push all of the jealousy out of her mind because she had no _reason_ to be jealous.

"You okay?" Milly asked Beth, looking at her with concern.

Beth looked up quickly and flashed a smile. "I'm fine—all the tills are perfect, so I can deposit the money in the bank if you want me to."

"That's fine, I'll do it." Milly replied, helping Beth to put the money into the bank deposit bag and then heading to the door. "I'll be back to close up."

"All right." Beth told her, smiling and then swallowing.

For some reason Beth couldn't help but smile every time she saw or thought about Brooke…it was just that Brooke was that kind of person. She lit up a whole room just by walking in and Beth was starting to feel a little funny because she hadn't ever been so pleased to be around a person before…not _this_ way. Beth had a funny feeling that she was crushing on Brooke the way she crushed on boys before, but really? Maybe she was just having one of those days—it _had_ been pretty long and busy…

"I'm heading home, but it was nice to see you." Haley told Beth as she headed out.

Beth smiled at her. "I hope I see more of you, Hales—its been a while."

"Yeah, it has—hey, take care of Brooke tonight, all right?" Haley said nodding. "She needs someone with her tonight."

"Absolutely." Beth agreed, and then heading to the back when Haley left.

Brooke looked up and smiled, but it faded a little as the sadness set back in and Brooke let Beth wrap her arm around her and hug her close. She always felt better when Beth comforted her, and she smiled a bit when Beth told her a ridiculously _bad_ duck joke and then Brooke looked at her. Beth had a plan—Brooke knew just by the look in her eyes and she made a face.

"Tric? Shots? Now?" Beth asked her.

Brooke beamed and nodded. "God, yes, please."

**Note: And there you have it, the introduction. Feedback is always appreciated!**


	2. Boundaries

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I'm glad you're all enjoying this so far!**

**So am I—thank you, Kate and Becca for convincing me I should definitely follow through with this.**

**WARNINGS: Language, Slash, Sensuality, Future f/f**

**ENJOY!**

****

"Shots, strongest liquor you have, please, she _needs_ it." Beth told Owen, the bartender that Brooke had set her sights on before, but hadn't had any luck with.

Brooke nodded and sat next to Beth at the bar. "Keep them coming too, Owen."

"Are _you_ having any of these shots?" Owen asked Beth with a smirk on his face as he poured two shots and scooted them towards Brooke.

"Yeah, I'm drinking too." Beth replied with a nod. "It's been a long, _long_ day."

Owen laughed and nodded, Brooke pounded the shots back and smiling at Owen as he refilled her shots, Beth smiling at Brooke fondly. He smirked a little as Beth drank her shot slowly, Brooke drinking two more quickly, and he nodded a little—he recognized the look on Beth's face. Beth was kind of smitten, and Brooke gave her a look when Beth drank her second shot and made a face, shaking her head a bit.

"What?" Brooke asked her.

Beth just shook her head, her face twisted up a little and she looked at the third shot in front of her dismally. For some reason Beth just couldn't find it in her to get this liquor down—it was _strong_, and she didn't know how she was going to handle it all. Brooke laughed a little at the look on Beth's face as she drank down the third shot, Brooke on her fifth, and Beth pushed her shoulder playfully as another grimace took over.

"It's _not_ funny!" Beth exclaimed.

Owen chuckled. "It's _kinda_ funny."

"_You_ stay out of this." Beth told Owen, pointing a finger in his direction. "I'm only having a couple more."

"You are such a wuss." Brooke laughed, downing her seventh shot and then making a face. "I'm feeling a little disoriented…"

Beth smiled and pushed the bowl of pretzels to Brooke, her grabbed a handful and then picked each pretzel out of her hand carefully. Owen watched as Beth watched Brooke eat each one slowly, smiling a little to herself at how adorable she found Brooke right then—even if she knew pretty soon they would both be pretty drunk. It seemed to Beth that it would be best if they headed out and just got plastered at her place…she didn't really want to make Brooke deal with Peyton being gone at hers.

"Let's go to my place and order pizza—I have beer and wine at my place." Beth offered and shrugged when Brooke cocked her head to one side and looked at her, a confused look on her face. "Besides, it saves us having to deal with driving home drunk later."

Brooke smiled and drank one more shot. "All right—you make sense."

"Of course I do." Beth beamed, and after placing money on the bar for Owen who was mixing a drink for someone else down the bar, Beth drove Brooke to her place.

They got out of the car, Brooke talking about how annoying Victoria was being, and how she was upset with herself. Brooke felt like nothing she did made Victoria even the _slightest_ bit proud of her, and if she kept up the ranting, she was going to be depressed, and Beth wanted Brooke happy. So, she opened up the house and Brooke sat on the couch, Beth handing her a stack of movies and grabbing out the wine since it was closest to her.

"Red or white?" Beth asked Brooke, holding them up.

Brooke looked at her and shrugged. "Red."

"Red it is." Beth replied, and started to pour her and Brooke some wine, going out to the living room with the glasses and the bottle, Brooke putting a movie into the DVD player. "What are we watching?"

"I don't know." Brooke admitted, laughing a little. "The cover looked pretty."

Beth laughed loudly. "Well _someone_ is getting a little drunk."

"Oh, whatever." Brooke said, going back over the couch and picking up the wine glass. "To forgetting long days."

"To forgetting long days." Beth chorused, clinking her glass against Brooke's and then sipping the wine, watching Brooke's every move.

Brooke noticed that Beth's eyes were on her, and she smiled a little as she sipped her wine, watching as the blonde unbuttoned the top two buttons on her shirt out of the corner of her eye. Beth was an incredibly attractive woman and she was fun, and she was bright, and Brooke was starting to feel a little like this was more than just _friendship_ again. This wasn't a place that either of them was entirely comfortable with either, not because they hadn't thought about it, but because they didn't know what to do.

"Christian better get naked in this movie." Beth said, blushing a little when she caught Brooke glancing at her as she pushed her blonde hair off of her shoulders.

Brooke laughed loudly. "Okay, we're in agreement there."

**

By the second movie, they'd had 2 bottles of wine and cut themselves off, both of them feeling incredibly giddy and talkative. The movie didn't even matter anymore, they were just facing each other on the couch talking about good times they'd had together and about Victoria being a bitch and about all sorts of things. Brooke and Beth had a lot in common, and they were eying each other and yet trying to keep themselves under control—so much to think about.

"I mean she's my _mother_!" Brooke exclaimed, still annoyed with Victoria's behavior. "Isn't she supposed to be all nurturing and shit?"

Beth shrugged a little. "That's how I thought father's were supposed to be, but look at ours—they're so successful they think they don't need anything else…even if its family."

"See?" Brooke exclaimed. "I mean _you_ understand! Normally when I bitch and moan, people just think I'm feeling sorry for myself…well except for Haley and Peyton…they understand because they knew me in High School."

"You really miss Peyton, don't you?" Beth asked her.

Brooke nodded and shrugged. "I just wish I knew where she was right now. Maybe she texted me…"

Beth laughed as Brooke went on a little hunt for her phone, not finding it and immediately getting distracted by a bowl on the coffee table. She picked it up and turned it over, the candy in it falling out, Beth moving closer to Brooke to pick it all up, Brooke running her fingers along Beth's name scrawled on the bottom. Beth had made it when she was younger and kept it all of these years, probably as a token of her past that her parents didn't appreciate either.

"Why do some people even _have_ kids?" Brooke asked dismally.

Beth smiled sadly and reached out to stroke Brooke's hair, losing herself in how silky smooth it felt. Brooke closed her eyes and smiled a little, Beth's fingers running through her hair helping to calm her down and remind her that there were people who cared and she needed to just face things head on. She turned to look at Beth, nodding a little because they were both in agreement about parents and then Brooke swallowed a little as Beth's face got a little closer.

She ran her thumb along Brooke's cheek, her heart pounding in her chest as Brooke just sat there, and kept the eye contact. Beth couldn't get over how incredibly _beautiful_ Brooke's hazel eyes were, and Brooke was thinking the same about Beth's ocean green ones. Then Beth was pressing her lips to Brooke's and they both felt like for just a second, that they couldn't breathe, but then Beth pressed in a little harder and moved her lips against Brooke's, Brooke responding.

Beth moved closer, running her tongue along Brooke's lip, Brooke reaching out to stroke Beth's hair, opening up her mouth. She hadn't expected it but Beth pushed her tongue in and explored Brooke's mouth, smiling a little when Brooke let out a soft moan and pulled Beth in closer, tugging on her hair. Beth ran her idle hand up Brooke's shirt and gave her breast a squeeze, both of them suddenly realizing what was happening and pulling back.

"Wow…I'm sorry." Beth said first, her whole face flushing. "We are wasted."

Brooke just nodded, both of them knowing that they weren't _that_ drunk, and that if _anyone_ had knowledge of what they were doing, it was Beth. Still, Beth told Brooke she was free to sleep on the couch or use the guest room and then went up to her own room and tried to catch her breath as her heart pounded hard in her chest. She closed her eyes and shook her head, touching her tingling lips as Brooke ran her fingers through her hair and looked blankly at the coffee table.

"Beth, you are _so_ getting fired." Beth whispered to herself.

**Note: I think we'll get into some Beth and Brooke past in a little bit, like the chapter after the next one, but for now I'm focusing on building up their friendship/angst. Feedback is always appreciated!**


	3. Bruised

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Okay, so here is chapter 3.**

**This was a fun chapter to write, and the next chapter will have a **_**lot**_** of flashbacks so you can see Brooke and Beth from the beginning.**

**WARNINGS: Language, Slash, Sensuality, Future f/f**

**ENJOY!**

****

Beth wasn't surprised in the slightest to see that Brooke had gone to work on her own that morning and she took a deep breath. She had a headache, but she knew it was nothing that Ibuprofen and coffee couldn't fix, so she got dressed and then she headed into the office and she frowned a little. Milly and Brooke were _both_ there before her, and Beth didn't know what to do or what to say, because _she_ remembered…so how much did _Brooke_ remember?

"Hey, Beth!" Milly said brightly, Beth staying near the till instead of going back to the back like she normally did.

Brooke looked up as she heard Milly greet Beth and she swallowed, looking down at her sketch and scratching her neck nervously. She didn't know that Beth had _no_ intention of going back to see her, but part of her hoped Beth would come and just go about things normally like nothing had happened. It wasn't like either of them meant it, right? They had just ingested a _lot_ of alcohol and that was that.

"How's Brooke?" Beth asked cautiously.

Milly shrugged as she counted up the morning till before opening the register for business. "She seems fine—she has a hangover though."

"I figured as much." Beth replied, smiling and then she took a deep breath and braved going to the back room.

Brooke kept her eyes on her sketch but she was alert and she knew that Beth was coming back to work. They had clothes to actually put together and Brooke was really hoping that what had happened the night before hadn't ruined the friendship they'd put together and maintained for four years. Beth reached out and set a cup of coffee on the desk and Brooke risked looking up, her and Beth making eye contact, Beth smiling at her.

"Figured coffee would help your headache." Beth offered, sitting down and looking at a sketch because she was loving Brooke's eye contact. "So are we making the trousers today?"

Brooke picked up the coffee and drank it—it was perfect. Beth knew _exactly_ what Brooke liked…it was part of what made her such a good partner. They knew each other so _well_, so why was it that they hadn't realized before that there was something between them underlying the friendship? Why was it that suddenly there was this feeling like they had been missing something but now they weren't? How could they _not_ have realized that they apparently had feelings for each other?

"I'm sorry." Beth said as she got the fabrics that they were going to need. "I'm just…I'm sorry, Brooke."

Brooke nodded and shrugged. "It's fine…we're good."

"Good." Beth replied, nodding and then swallowing.

Even if that had been true, which they were both feeling like it wasn't, there was just something in the air that made everything still awkward. Beth had _enjoyed_ what had happened…she had wanted it to continue, but at the same time that freaked her out because Brooke was her best friend. She hadn't been this close to anyone in so long that Beth was afraid that crushing on Brooke anymore than she was already crushing on her was just plain wrong. What if she ruined something?

For Brooke, she was just confused as to what was going on because just the last week, she and Beth had been hitting on guys at Tric. In fact, Beth had a whole plan set in motion for Brooke to follow so that Brooke could get Owen _and_ have Owen think it was _his_ idea in the first place. They couldn't _like_ each other as more than friends! It was impossible!

"Is it okay if I take off early tonight?" Beth asked Brooke, sitting down with the scissors and the pattern. "My father is coming into town and he wants to have dinner."

Brooke smiled sadly. "Is this going to be like last time?"

"Well if he decides to rag on me about my career choice again, then 'yes'." Beth admitted, shaking her head.

Her father thought that she had potential—potential to be a great doctor, or lawyer, or politician…but Beth had chosen Clothes Over Bros. She had met Brooke and her whole world had changed and she wanted to just design and create, and spend time with her best friend…with the one person after High School that had made her feel like she mattered. Now he was coming for dinner to check up on her and Beth felt like for the first time that morning, nothing between her and Brooke was awkward.

"Tell him to fuck off." Brooke told Beth, Beth smiling at her fondly. "I mean you chose something you loved, and that was all that mattered, right?"

Beth nodded. "I certainly think so."

Beth went back over to the table and looked over the sketch, her and Brooke both reaching for the thread at the same time. Brooke was going to hand it to her, and Beth was going to grab it herself, their hands touching and just like that, the awkwardness was back when they both pulled away, blushing. They thought that if they touched again, last night would happen all over again, and they were still trying to figure out what last night was…and it definitely _wasn't_ fine.

"I got it." Beth said lamely, grabbing the thread and heading to the other part of the room.

Brooke nodded and got up. "I'm going to go out and order us some lunch or something."

"Okay." Beth told her and she watched Brooke leave, hanging her head and biting her lip—she was pretty sure that everything between them had just changed.

**

Beth made a face in the mirror as she pulled her hair back, checking for zits and for random stray hairs she may have to tweeze. She was nervous about seeing her father for the monthly dinner, but at the same time she knew that she shouldn't be when business was booming and she was making a name for herself. It was just her father had that vision of what she was supposed to be and she always felt like she needed to please him…even when she knew she wasn't.

She picked up her cell phone and her lip gloss, looking at the cover to see if Brooke had called, but she hadn't. Haley had, and had left a message, and Beth knew she had to get back to her because she missed Haley's company. In fact when Peyton showed back up, Beth was looking forward to a girl's night because after meeting Haley and Peyton, Beth felt connected to them and she liked that they made Brooke happy.

Brooke. She seemed to be the only thing on Beth's mind all the time and Beth wondered why she never noticed that before. It had always been there, but Beth had just figured she felt close to Brooke because Brooke was her friend—because Brooke had given her a job, but it was always there. She had been beautiful as ever when Beth had met her, and she wanted to bond with Brooke instead of hit on the hot guy at the bar, and Brooke had wanted to do the same with Beth…how had she never noticed?

Beth knew she wasn't in love with Brooke, but she knew that she had always definitely been attracted she'd just been suppressing it. She thought that she was into boys and it wasn't like she still wasn't…she was just into _Brooke_. _Brooke Davis_. Brooke Davis her _boss_. Great, she wasn't just ruining a friendship she didn't want to lose, but she was ruining her potential career.

Shaking the thoughts away, she applied her lip gloss and grabbed her jacket, heading out to her car as Brooke lie on her bed. Brooke and Haley had had a few drinks and then Haley had gone home to her husband, Nathan, and their 5 year-old son, Jamie, leaving Brooke to think things over. There was just so much history with her and Beth, and she didn't want this friendship to end anymore than Beth did, but how were they getting past this? They had kissed…and Brooke had liked it…but it was _Beth_.

Beth _worked_ for her. Beth was sorry that it happened, so why was Brooke even dwelling on it? They just needed to get their friendship back on track and it wasn't like it was the _only_ thing that Brooke could think about. She was worried about Peyton even though she knew that Peyton was fine finally—Peyton had texted her, and Lucas had texted Haley and Brooke was glad for Peyton. It was obvious the two were together even though they hadn't said anything and through Haley seemed a little upset, Brooke was just glad that wherever Peyton was, she was fine.

So she didn't have to think about it anymore, Brooke decided to head to the store, where she found Milly and convinced her to go with Mouth, her boyfriend, to Omaha. Brooke was sick and tired of everyone hiding their hearts, and they all had someone to love them…they should be with them. Then Brooke set to work on some new sketches and she tried to ignore everything she was going through—it wasn't important. She wanted to just focus on her work because it always made her feel better…it was just something that she didn't have to think about to much, it just came to her naturally.

"Hey, Daddy." Beth said smiling, looking at her father as he came over to her at the table in the restaurant.

He smiled a little and took his seat. "Good evening, Beth. You look well—still working at the same place?"

"Wow…we haven't even ordered any appetizers yet and you're already asking about work." Beth told him, biting her lip and shrugging. "Work is great—there's a new line coming out, the pay is good, and I enjoy what I do."

Her father nodded and looked at the menu. "Any prospective—"

"—if the word 'husbands' comes out of you mouth, Dad, I swear…" Beth said firmly, taking a breath and then setting her menu down. "How is Alice? Have you spoken to her lately?"

Her father looked over his menu at his eldest daughter and he swallowed when he heard the name of his youngest. Even though Beth hadn't followed the plan he'd set out for her, Beth at least kept in touch with him and told him how she was and what she was doing. After their mother's death though, Alice had gone her own way, moving in with her aunt—their mother's sister—and going to a private school to start her life over, away from their father…and he couldn't blame her.

"According to Clarissa, she's fine." He replied, looking back at the menu.

Beth nodded at her. "Yeah…Aunt Clarissa has a habit of keeping the secrets she wants to keep and being the messenger when people don't want to talk…"

Beth's father just nodded and Beth decided to change the subject because she didn't want to talk about all of the family drama right then. She just wanted to know how her Dad was doing and then when their dinner was over, she picked up her phone and she called Brooke. Her dinner with her father had made her realize that it was important to stay close to the people that you trusted—the people that cared about you…the people that made you feel complete.

Brooke wasn't answering though, so Beth headed to her house, but all of the lights were off and her car was gone. So Beth figured that Brooke was at the only other place that made her feel good—she was at the store. Beth hurried to Clothes Over Bros and when she saw the door to the store was open, she hurried in and found Brooke on the floor, bloody and beaten and the tears came.

"Brooke?" Beth asked, taking a deep breath and gingerly touching her. "Oh my God."

**Note: Angst for the win, I guess, lol. How about that awkwardness between them right now? And poor Brookie Cookie…Feedback is always appreciated!**


	4. Taken Care Of

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Okay, so this chapter has a LOT of flashbacks.**

**It's also kind of sad and angsty.**

**WARNINGS: Language, Slash, Sensuality, Future f/f**

**ENJOY!**

****

Brooke knew that Beth was upset that Brooke wouldn't let her call the police about the attack, but Brooke thought it was for the best. Nothing _really_ important was taken from her and the store was in a bad spot right then anyway—she just wanted all of this to be kept quiet. Beth was upset that she hadn't been there, and she wanted justice for what had happened to Brooke, but Brooke wasn't backing down on this.

Beth knew that Brooke was stubborn—she'd always _been_ stubborn—and it reminded her of better, simpler days. Days when she and Brooke were happier and there was never a question of whether or not there was an attraction: there was just an unfaltering friendship. Those were the days that Beth wished that she could get back because after this…after this she didn't know what it was going to be like for her and Brooke.

"_Oh come on he is __**not**__ compensating!" Beth exclaimed, hitting Brooke with her pillow as Brooke squealed and kept laughing. "He's better than your mystery man."_

_Brooke stopped laughing and shot Beth a look. "You have seriously got to stop being so uptight."_

"_I am __**not**__ uptight!" Beth protested and then she laughed a little. "I have to admit that the flexing war he got into with your man of the week was kind of…weird."_

"_Weird?! It was downright retarded!" Brooke told her and then shrugged. "Guess you could say since my boyfriend kind of decided to fight back…he's compensating too…"_

_Beth laughed at that and nodded vigorously, both of them smiling at each other and picking through the junk food, Brook picking the movie. They had a sleepover every Friday night no matter what—even if they had extra work, they just brought it with them to whomever's house the sleepover was supposed to be at next. Honestly, they were pretty certain that the __**best**__ part of their job was getting to spend time together and as far as they were concerned they were never with each other __**too**__ much._

"_Musical?" Brooke asked Beth._

_Beth smiled at her and nodded. "Most __**definitely**__."_

"_All right, but there better be half naked men in it too." Brooke told her._

_Beth just laughed and nodded, both of them just happy to be able to be lazy after a long week of work. They'd been working themselves to the bone and they had a whole new line ready to show Victoria, and Beth couldn't think of a better feeling. She got to work with her best friend, she had talents she hadn't ever realized she had, and she was happy…Brooke had made it possible for Beth to be happy._

"You're sure he didn't touch you like…" Beth asked, trailing off because the words she was searching for were too painful to think about.

Brooke nodded slowly, cringing a little. "He didn't…promise…"

"I'm going to find that son of a bitch, Brooke." Beth promised her, reaching out to stroke her hair.

Beth had brought Brooke back to her place since it was closest to the store, even though she knew Brooke would rather be in her own surroundings. She had tried to be as ginger as possible, and right then neither of them were feeling awkward about the situation in the slightest…this is what Brooke needed. She _needed_ to feel loved and taken care of—she needed to feel _close_ to someone else who saw her as part of their world.

"You sure it was only the sketches, the computer and the money?" Brooke asked softly, her eyes closed as Beth ran her fingers through her hair and stayed close to her, sitting on the bed as Brooke laid there in the guest bed, trying to ignore the pain.

Beth nodded quickly. "Just those…I'll figure out what to do from here, I've got plans already set in motion, but I'm waiting until tomorrow."

"Yeah…thank you…for letting me use your shower and for bringing me here." Brooke whispered, smiling at Beth, glad to have her company.

"Of course—you _always_ have me to lean on." Beth insisted, kissing Brooke's forehead as softly as possible, her lips brushing across Brooke's skin.

Brooke just smiled a little, feeling like the pain was worth it just to have Beth there with her, taking care of her. It didn't matter how confused Brooke was about whether or not she was romantically attracted to Beth right then—what mattered was that she didn't have to go through this alone. She heard beeps though and she opened up her eyes as best as she could since they were swollen and she slowly shook her aching head.

"Don't." Brooke whispered.

Beth looked at her and made a face. "Brooke we have to tell _someone_. What about Haley? She's here—or Peyton? They're your best friends."

"I don't want anyone to know, Beth." Brooke told her firmly, grasping Beth's hand and ignoring the pain. "Please…_promise_ me that you won't tell anyone what really happened."

Beth knew that she didn't want to make that promise but she nodded slowly, leaning down and kissing Brooke's forehead one more time before gingerly squeezing her hand and getting up. She wanted to let Brooke rest and she wanted to figure out what it was that she could get done about this. There was nothing that she could do because she didn't have many details, but she knew that for Brooke she _had_ to make this right.

Brooke smiled sadly and took as many deep breaths as she could take, trying so hard _not_ to cry about what had happened. The man had showed up out of _nowhere_, and beaten her…_attacked_ her. She didn't know _why_ someone would do that, and to _her_, but she knew that she was never going to be the same because of it. That man had just changed _everything_, and Brooke didn't know how to cope with that…she just wanted to sleep.

"Pull it together, Beth." Beth breathed to herself as she walked slowly down the hallway, the tears threatening to come again.

_Beth had left the dinner with her father and gone straight to a bar, wishing her feet weren't killing her so much. Her ideas about college and __**his**__ ideas about her college had been two __**very**__ different plans and she wasn't really in the mood to think on it anymore. She had come to unwind and the sound of laughter filled her ears, making her look up and smile brightly—a beautiful brunette was sitting about ten seats down the bar._

"_Tell me," She was saying to an attractive man leaning on the bar next to her, "does that pick-up line ever work?"_

_He smiled at her. "You tell me."_

_She nodded at him and then turned to the bar, downing a shot, the man walking away and Beth shaking her blonde hair. Brooke looked up and noticed as Beth let out a chuckle, the man sidling down the bar and leaning on it, Beth looking up at him. He wasn't drunk or anything, he was just rejected by a beautiful brunette and figure the beautiful blonde would succumb to his charm._

"_Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?" Beth asked him._

_The man raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"_

"_I was just saving you the trouble." Beth replied, looking at her glass of alcohol, the man nodding and moving on._

_Brook was definitely intrigued by her, getting up and going down the bar, sitting down next to Beth, who looked up at her. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other, Brooke extending her hand first and smiling when Beth grasped it, their eye contact never wavering, which made them both feel incredibly safe._

"_Brooke Davis." Brooke introduced herself._

_Beth nodded and shook her hand slowly and firmly. "Beth Michaels."_

"_Well, Beth…what brings you here by yourself?" Brook asked her._

"_Father drama I'd like to avoid." Beth replied._

_Brooke nodded. "I understand that—I'm trying to avoid mother drama."_

"_I understand that too." Beth admitted sipping her beer as Brooke downed another shot._

_Brooke nodded and took a breath. "Wanna get out of here and have a night on the town the right way? Two gorgeous girls like us escaping our parents and giving men a run for their money?"_

_Beth thought a moment and then looked up at Brooke and nodded. "Actually…that sounds perfect."_

That first sighting of Brooke—that first conversation—Beth suddenly felt like Brooke was on her mind more then than ever. She was all that Beth could think about and she realized that had Brooke not made it through this…Beth would have regretted so much of their time spent together in this ridiculous lie. Seeing Brooke lying there barely moving…bleeding…bruised…Beth almost couldn't take it.

"_Oh God, Brooke…" Beth whispered, trying to stop the tears from spilling out of her eyes, but she knew she couldn't do that._

_Beth ran her fingers along Brooke's cheek gingerly and then ran her fingers down to check Brooke's pulse. All she needed to know right then and there was whether or not Brooke was still alive—she could figure out who did this later. She made sure to touch Brooke gently, but with purpose, leaning down and closing her eyes as relief washed over her—Brooke was weak, but she was alive._

"_Thank God." Beth breathed out._

_Brooke moved her arm weakly and touched Beth's face as Beth looked at her. "Beth…"_

"_Yeah, Brooke…I'm here…and I'm not going anywhere." Beth assured her, smiling through her tears._

_Brooke smiled weakly and Beth kissed her forehead, looking at the blood on her fingers and trying to keep the sobs at bay. All she knew right then and there was that she was going to make whoever did this pay for what they had done to Brooke. Beth knew that she couldn't live without Brooke…she knew that Brooke meant __**everything**__ to her, right in that moment._

"_You think you can stand?" Beth asked Brooke finally._

Beth wiped the tears off of her face and went into her bathroom, washing her face, brushing her teeth, and then getting dressed. She pulled on pajama pants and a t-shirt, crawling under the covers and closing her eyes, wishing that sleep would wash over here. Still the only thoughts running through her mind were: _what if my room is too far for her to walk_?, and also _what if she needs someone by her side just there maybe to __**not **__talk_?.

"Beth…you have got to give her room to breathe." Beth said aloud, shaking her head, brushing away the single tear that slid down her cheek.

**

_Brooke hadn't expected it to happen. One minute she was pissed about the phone call to her mother, the next she was turning out the light. Then suddenly a man came in the door, his face covered by a mask and all she knew next was that she was being shoved. She hadn't ever felt so much fear in her life, and her body hit the ground hard as she fell over the table behind her._

_She didn't even have time to ask him what he wanted before his fists were pummeling into her, hitting anywhere they could touch. He made sure to hit her face and her sides, hitting her harder every time she moved to get away from him, feeling helpless and defeated. Soon he had hit her so much that she had no more life in her practically, straightening up and grabbing a couple of things, glancing at her._

_As she lay there, bloody and beaten, starting to lose consciousness she heard, "Have a nice night," and then all was calm, Brooke fading in and out of consciousness before she heard Beth hurry in to her side._

Brooke shook her head a little in her sleep, her eyes shooting open as she pictured it happening again. The tears welled up in her eyes but she kept telling herself that she wasn't going to cry…she wasn't going to let him win like that. So instead she slowly closed her eyes, and she tried to drift back off to sleep, Beth getting up and putting on her robe. She headed to the guest room and opened the door up slowly, smiling a little at Brooke actually sleeping.

She knew that Brooke had to be having a restless night, but right then she looked so calm and it warmed Beth's heart because she wanted Brooke to be okay. Beth wanted Brooke to be able to make it through this and Beth knew that that meant that no matter what—no matter the drunken kisses or the awkward small talk—she had to be by Brooke's side…or at least _on_ her side. That meant that Beth had to keep this secret…even though Beth thought that someone should be told about what was happening with Brooke—even though she thought being honest about it would lead to a culprit.

"You can stay with me if you like." Brooke whispered, knowing Beth was there.

Beth smiled a little and blushed. "I'm sorry…you must think I'm totally intrusive."

"You're worried…I appreciate it." Brooke replied smiling at Beth a little more and watching as Beth closed the door behind her and took off her robe, climbing onto the bed and lying next to Brooke.

"I just want to know you're safe." Beth whispered, trying so hard to stay strong for both of them because she knew Brooke needed it.

Brooke nodded slowly. "I always feel safe with you, Beth."

_Beth pulled her robe tightly across her chest and looked through the window, rolling her eyes and opening up the door. Brooke smiled awkwardly and then she pulled a face and Beth let her in, shutting and locking the door behind her. She seemed a little freaked out and Beth only wanted Brooke to feel comfortable—it was all she'd ever wanted._

"_Brooke, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Beth asked cautiously._

_Brooke sighed loudly, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry…the whole time I was driving here, I felt like there was some crazed killer in the backseat of my car!"_

"_You watched a horror movie by yourself again in the dark?" Beth asked her, nodding as Brooke nodded quickly. "You're always welcome here, Brookie Cookie—I'll protect you from anything."_

"_I know—you're the first person I thought of." Brooke admitted, blushing a little. "Can we watch a musical or something __**please**__?!"_

_Beth smiled at her and nodded. "Of __**course**__ we can! Something where the men get half naked, and you can have the guest room."_

"_Perfect." Brooke said smiling._

Beth knew she couldn't keep the grin at bay when she heard those words escape Brooke's lips, but she kept her hands to herself. Brooke was bruised and no matter how much Beth wanted to hug her and stroke her hair and kiss her face, she couldn't do any of it. It was in that moment when Beth whispered that she wasn't going anywhere, that she realized that she was falling for Brooke Davis—and she didn't want to deny it anymore.

"Sleep, Brooke." Beth whispered softly.

Brooke nodded slowly and closed her eyes, both of them sleeping rather peacefully until the sun came streaming in the windows the next morning. Then Beth got up to make Brooke some breakfast, and Brooke took another shower, stopping at the mirror to look over her bruises and she frowned. She didn't know how she was going to explain this to anyone, but she knew that for the time being she was just going to stay with Beth.

"_I seriously don't think I can handle this." Beth explained, leaning her head on the island counter of her house._

_Brooke smiled and ran her fingers through Beth's hair. "Long night?"_

"_Too much booze, and too many chick flicks." Beth replied, speaking into the counter, but Brooke understood and smiled at her._

"_I think the boys enjoyed it." Brooke replied shrugging._

_Beth looked up at her and raised her eyebrows. "Shouldn't we be __**worried**__ about that? They liked the movie more than __**we**__ did."_

_Brooke rolled her eyes and poured Beth some coffee, completely used to her hangovers by now. She smiled at Beth as Beth's eyes lit up and she drank the coffee, Brooke understanding Beth's need and love for the substance. Beth winked at Brooke and then set the cup down, taking a deep breath as Brooke drank her own coffee and waited for what Beth was about to say._

"_Wanna skip work and do something fun?" Beth asked her._

_Brooke laughed and gave her a look. "You mean working for me __**isn't**__ fun?"_

"_Of course it is, I just…you and I haven't really had any 'us' time out of our weekly sleepover lately and I miss you." Beth admitted._

"_Consider today a day off." Brooke told her happily._

_They both smiled at each other and drank their coffee, getting ready to spend the day together. Brooke loved shopping and Beth enjoyed it with Brooke, but they both knew they'd end up out for lunch and in a Barnes and Nobles just for Beth's sake. The two of them just enjoyed each other's company, and they felt like they were meant to meet._

"You want some pancakes?" Beth asked Brooke, looking at her as Brooke came into the kitchen and tugged at her long sleeves with her fingers, keeping her arms covered to hide the bruises.

Brooke smiled a little. "Yeah…pancakes sound perfect."

"I made plain and chocolate chip—I'll eat either of them, and I know you like them, but I didn't know what you'd be in the mood for this morning." Beth admitted, blushing a little and looking at Brooke again.

She didn't want Brooke to think that she was staring at her and her bruises and the cut on her lip, but she couldn't help but look at her. It wasn't what had happened to Brooke either…it was that Brooke still looked like the strong, beautiful woman that Beth had come to know inside and out. She knew that it wasn't all right to do it, but she wanted to hold Brooke close to her and let her know that even though she wished that Brooke would tell someone, Beth was going to be there for her every step of the way.

"Chocolate chip sounds good this morning." Brooke said, looking down at the island counter as she noticed Beth looking at her.

Beth nodded and blushed more too. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine, I get it." Brooke told her, shaking her head and waving it off.

"No it's not fine and you _don't_ get it." Beth said, getting the last pancake out of the pan and then putting it on the plate with the other chocolate chip pancakes.

Brooke looked at her and raised her eyebrows, completely surprised by what Beth had just said, and how hurt she looked. Beth knew by the confused look on Brooke's face that Brooke didn't want Beth to feel hurt, and she hadn't meant to hurt her, and Brooke tensed up when Beth wrapped her arms around her. She had left the stove, walked right over to Brooke and held her close to her, being careful of her bruises, but Brooke felt that loving touch and she shook her head a little, Beth pulling back.

"No, no…it's not you…I just…I don't want to cry…I'm not going to cry." Brooke told her, wanting to bite her lip, but her lip was still busted and it hurt.

Beth stroked Brookes hair, her fingers gently caressing Brooke's skin and Brooke gave into the pleasant feel. She was in pain and she was confused and she was emotionally pained, but for some reason having Beth here for her—having Beth this close to her—almost made it all worth it. Brooke was so thankful to not have to go through this alone, and she smiled sadly, her eyes closed, Beth leaning in.

"I'm never going to let anyone hurt you ever again." Beth promised, kissing Brooke's forehead, brushing her lips across her skin and wishing Brooke wasn't so hurt…wishing that Brooke felt the same way about her that Beth was pretty sure she felt about Brooke.

Brooke nodded and managed, "I couldn't do this without you, Beth."

**Note: I hope you enjoyed that and liked their past! Next chapter has a few more characters to further the story. Feedback is always appreciated!**


	5. Something's in the Air

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**All right, here is another chapter!**

**Remember when I said other characters? Well the new ones will show up NEXT chapter, I needed this one first just because I don't want to move **_**too**_** fast.**

**WARNINGS: Language, Slash, Sensuality, Future f/f**

**ENJOY!**

****

Brooke was really worried about Peyton coming home, but Beth was with her, and even if she didn't say anything, her presence was enough. She was finally in her own home and though she shared it with Peyton and Beth would no longer be right by her side, Brooke was pretty certain that she could do this. She was _not_ weak, and she was going to prove that she could get through this…that she wasn't going to let this beat her.

Beth was worried about Brooke. She knew that Brooke had her mind set on a lie and she wanted Brooke to tell Peyton the truth so she had someone else to confide in, but at the same time Beth enjoyed having a secret with Brooke. It meant that Brooke trusted her—it meant that Brooke wanted her around and Beth wanted to _be_ around. Still, Beth wanted Brooke to have as _many_ people to run to as possible…she wanted Brooke to feel _safe_.

Even though Brooke said she was going to be fine, Brooke had been a little jumpy as of late and Beth understood that. She had been beaten in her store—beaten in a place that she felt at home in, and now the store was just a reminder of something brutal. Beth wanted to make that better for her, but she knew that she was far from being Brooke's savior—she should have _been_ there to help her. She should have blown off her father and the dinner to be there with Brooke. Two against one would have been better odds, and Brooke wouldn't be feeling fragile and vulnerable.

Putting a smile on for Brooke, Beth knocked on the door and waited for Brooke to answer it. Brooke had known it was Beth because Beth didn't have a key to the place—that meant that Peyton wasn't home yet and she could spend some time with Beth. Beth smiled at her and held the coffee up, Brooke smiling a little even though Beth could tell that Brooke was still in pain all over…both physically _and _emotionally.

"I brought us the best thing I could think of." Beth announced, waltzing in when Brooke motioned for her to come in and then she turned and watched as Brooke hurriedly locked the door and then turned to her. "Pie will have to wait. The one I wanted was sold out this morning and I have to wait until the afternoon when the new shipment arrives since I have no time to make one myself."

Brooke smiled again and took one of the coffees from Beth as Beth went to take her jacket off, heading into the kitchen. She wasn't aware of Brooke watching her closely as she sipped her coffee, Beth rummaging through some cabinets to make Brooke some breakfast. Beth knew that Brooke wanted her to feel at home and Brooke suddenly realized that ever since they'd met, Beth had been there for her…caring about her, protecting her, taking care of her…why had she never noticed that before?

"So I was thinking pancakes…or you know, not—you have nothing to make those with." Beth said and then turned to Brooke, a little caught off guard by the soft gaze Brooke had on her and having to compose herself. "Please tell me you don't just do take-out."

"Hey!" Brooke exclaimed, trying not to make Beth uncomfortable—she'd noted the slight flush in Beth's cheeks. "There is _real_ food in my fridge."

Beth nodded and opened it up. "Yeah…I can make you eggs."

"Shut-up." Brooke said, laughing even with the dull pain and then setting her coffee cup down on the counter. "I'm going to clean up a bit, all right? Peyton should be here soon."

Beth just nodded and pulled out some sandwich fixings, giving Brooke a smile as Brooke walked away. She needed the reassurance and Beth was more than willing to give her exactly that, and once Brooke disappeared into the bathroom, Beth set to finding some soup. She ended up just making tomato soup and some grilled cheese sandwiches, her and Brooke sharing a nice meal before Peyton showed up. Beth was right in the middle of telling Brooke a story about her sister, when they heard the keys in the front door and Brooke went to the bathroom, Beth nodding—she wanted to break this to Peyton as gently as possible.

"Brooke! I'm ho—hey, Beth." Peyton said, opening up the door and seeing Beth in the kitchen, leaning on the counter. "Didn't know you guys were working."

Beth smiled at her. "We're not really working, Peyt—just having some dinner."

"Oh, well that's good." Peyton replied and then glanced around. "Where's Brooke?"

"Don't freak out." Brooke told her, coming out slowly, Peyton's smile fading when she saw the bruises on Brooke's face.

"Oh my God, Brooke…what happened?" Peyton asked her.

Beth smiled awkwardly and then walked back over to the table, keeping her eyes averted _away_ from Peyton as Brooke told her that she fell down the stairs. As she spoke, Beth just kept thinking of finding Brooke there bloody and beaten, and she couldn't stand it. She closed her eyes and she took a deep breath, trying hard to compose herself and then deciding on just getting some wine poured. Beth was going to leave Brooke and Peyton to spend some time together, but maybe the win would take the edge off.

As Peyton went to grab a couple of things from her room, Brooke got a package of peas out and used it as an ice pack, watching Beth suck the wine down. She wanted so badly to tell Beth that everything was going to be fine, but she didn't know that. Brooke didn't know that things were going to be fine, and she didn't know what to tell Beth when she was obviously distraught—all Brooke knew was that she didn't want Beth to feel too bad about all of it.

"I'm going to go." Beth said, setting the cup down on the counter and looking at Brooke. "You've got Peyt for now and I'll see you in the morning."

Brooke nodded at her. "Yeah…hey…thank you for everything, Beth."

"Always." Beth replied, smiling a little and then she grabbed her things and headed back to her own house.

**

Two weeks later, Brooke's bruises were definitely healing quickly, and it mostly just looked like Brooke was sleepy all the time because the sallow tint of the bruises was covered up by make-up. Brooke was still trying to keep Clothes Over Bros up and running with Beth's help and attentiveness, and Haley was trying to be there for her too. It had turned out that Lucas and Peyton had run off to get married but ended up just engaged, and everyone was surprised and yet not. Beth was leaning against the register as Haley and Brooke talked, everything pretty slow. No one had been in really, and Beth was enjoying the conversation that was being carried out.

"I guess I just don't the decision." Haley said, shrugging as she clutched her coffee cup. "This soon after Lindsey? This soon after all this stuff about how he was supposed to be with her? Then suddenly it's Peyton."

Brooke nodded slowly. "I get that, I do, but…it's always _been_ Peyton, hasn't it?"

"For a while it was you." Beth reminded her. "I think you've always been part of the equation."

"I have no doubts that Lucas and I were in love once but…it's always been Peyton for him." Brooke admitted, taking a deep breath.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I think he's rushing things. He hasn't even had a long enough time to grieve over Lindsey leaving him at the altar—he's not thinking with his head."

"Men _rarely_ do." Beth pointed out.

She and Brooke shared a laugh, and though Haley smiled at it, there was something else going on with her and Beth cocked her head to the side. It was almost as if Haley was going through the same thing that Beth was going through as far as Beth could tell. She had that look on her face like she was having an inner struggle, and Beth had never really heard Haley talk about Peyton and Lucas like this. In fact the last time Haley had talked about the two of them, she had been all for whomever Lucas was going to choose in the end: Brooke, Lindsey or Peyton.

"I think someone sounds jealous." Beth said, sipping her coffee and then shrugging when Haley shot her a look. "I'm just saying."

Haley rolled her eyes. "I'm not jealous of Peyton."

"I always thought there was something between you two." Brooke admitted as she headed into the back room with some sketches, looking into some fabric choices.

"I meant jealous of Lucas." Beth said, knowing that Haley was the only one right then to hear the conversation now.

Haley looked at Beth slowly, making sure that she heard Beth correctly and swallowing as Beth took the silence as a 'yes'. She knew that this had to be a hard time for Haley if Haley was crushing on Peyton even a little bit. Haley was married to Nathan, and they had a son, Jamie, and it wasn't fair to them if Haley decided she wanted to try something with Peyton and Haley knew that. Still, Beth couldn't help but feel like she needed to say something to Haley about this—maybe get advice from Haley about this because it was getting hard to keep her feelings about Brooke to herself.

"I love her." Beth said suddenly, shaking her head and motioning her hand in the direction of Brooke in the back. "I don't…I don't like girls like this, Haley. I'm not used to this feeling but I just…I know I love her."

Haley smiled softly. "Have you told her?"

"No…no, and I probably won't ever." Beth admitted, chugging some coffee and then closing her eyes dismally. "Brooke doesn't feel the same way."

"Something will work itself out." Haley said, trying to shake off the whole conversation.

She honestly didn't find anything wrong with Beth's feelings for Brooke, but at the same time she wasn't used to this. Ever since High School, her immediate group of friends had been hetero, but she saw it—she saw the seriousness in Beth's eyes and she saw how close Brooke and Beth were. She smiled when Brooke came back out with some fabric and asked to borrow Beth so they could get back to work, and they all said their 'goodbyes', Haley heading back home.

"There was something else underlying in this conversation." Brooke told Beth as she went to the sewing machine.

Beth smiled a little. "She's just worried about her friends—Haley cares."

"I know she does." Brooke admitted, taking a moment to watch Beth chew on her lip, trying to figure out what the feelings in her stomach were.

"Oh well, we have work to do—we can talk to Haley later." Beth said, waving it off and then smiling at Brooke. "Let's try a new line…something Victoria won't suspect. I mean the baby line is _fabulous_, but we need a new edge."

Brooke smiled at her. "What would I do without you?"

"Let's hope you never have to find out." Beth replied smiling broadly.

Brooke smiled too but then she heard something out in the front of the store and she went to see what was going on. Milly was talking to a young teenage girl, Brooke taking a deep breath. She went to confront the girl about shop lifting, and ended up getting pushed over, Beth going over to her as the girl ran out. Brooke was back in a sour mood, but when Beth hugged her, she softened a little and just buried her face in Beth's neck, breathing in the scent of her hair and calming down.

**Note: So there you go—a chapter with some Beth/Brooke cuteness/angst, Peyton is back, and is that a hint of Paley in the air? Feedback is always appreciated!**


	6. Just Talk it Out

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I'm so glad you guys are all enjoying this!**

**Here is the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it too!**

**WARNINGS: Language, Slash, Sensuality, Future f/f**

**ENJOY!**

****

Beth was pretty excited to have her sister come to visit her. Alice was in the neighborhood and she figured she would visit her sister since her sister understood and accepted her decisions. She had just wanted to be able to get out and do her own thing, and though Beth had stayed behind to make her father as happy as she could, Alice couldn't have lived with herself.

"Oh God…why did you have to brew coffee while I was here?" Alice asked, making a face at the coffee smell.

Beth rolled her eyes and laughed. "I still don't understand how we're related sometimes—coffee is the _best_ smell there is. Well, right behind pie fresh out of the oven."

"Pie beats all." Alice agreed, drinking her hot chocolate and then cocking her head to one side. "You look kind of contemplative, B…what's up?"

"I just…okay, can you _promise_ me that you won't freak out?" Beth asked her, taking a deep breath and blushing a bit.

Alice looked at her hard. "What is going on, B?"

Beth didn't know exactly how to tell Alice how she was feeling about Brooke, but more importantly, she didn't know how Alice was going to take it. She knew that Alice didn't have anything against homosexual or bisexual people—in fact she and Beth had a couple friends who were just that—it was that this was close to home. This was something Beth had never had to deal with before, and she knew that if Alice was weird about it, then she wouldn't be able to follow through with it. She needed someone else on her side that understood her…someone who would stand by her when she knew her father wouldn't.

"I, uh…I'm in love with Brooke." Beth admitted, tucking stray hair behind her ears and then looking at Alice.

Alice nodded and sipped her hot chocolate. "I can see that, actually."

"What? How in the world could _you_ have known when _I _didn't even know?" Beth asked her sister, making a face. "Have I been obvious?"

"No, I just—I know how much she means to you, B." Alice said with a shrug. "I know how much you care about her, and you're with her almost 24/7, and you've always put her above yourself. She's never just been your friend, and it was only a matter of time before you figured that out for yourself."

Beth bit her lip. "So…you're not weirded out by it all?"

"Of course not!" Alice exclaimed, getting up and going over to Beth, hugging her. "You're my older sister, and all I want is for you to be happy. Brooke makes you happy right, B?"

"Yeah…yeah, she does." Beth admitted with a nod.

"Then it's perfect." Alice said, pulling back and looking her sister in the eye. "You haven't told her…have you?"

Beth shook her head and Alice sighed, but she didn't know the whole story and Beth knew she was going to have to explain what was going on. She was pretty certain that in love with Brooke or not, nothing was going to happen there, and she was going to have to accept it. It wasn't like she couldn't _hide_ her feelings if need be, and if push came to shove, she'd get back on her feet.

"We kissed once, but we were drunk and things haven't been the same between us." Beth explained with a shrug. "I really don't think that she's into me and I don't want to embarrass myself. She's not just my best friend, Al—she's my _boss_. I can't fuck this up."

Alice sighed loudly and sat back down. "I really don't know why you have to go and make everything so much harder and more complicated than it is."

"Alice! You _know_ that I can't lose this job!" Beth protested.

"It's not _about_ the _job_, Beth! It's about _you_!" Alice protested, shaking her head and putting it in her hands. "I don't understand why you _always_ have to put everyone _else_ ahead of _yourself_!"

Alice knew that Beth was used to it—she'd been doing it since their mother had died. Beth had a habit of making sure that no matter the risks, and Alice wished that for _once_, Beth would think about herself. She just wanted her sister to be happy, and she was starting to think that she was going to need to put a plan into action. If there was one thing that Alice Michaels was a genius at, it was putting plans into action.

"You're doing drinks with Brooke and Peyton tonight, right?" Alice asked Beth.

Beth nodded slowly. "Yeah, we're all heading to Tric."

"Since I'm going to be around tonight, I'm going to go with you—besides, I kind of miss Brooke myself." Alice admitted with a shrug. "I haven't seen her in a while and I don't want you to feel like you have to cancel to hang out with me—win/win."

"What is going on in your head, Al?" Beth asked her, making a face. "You have that 'diabolical master plan' look on your face."

Alice smiled and rolled her eyes. "Just dress to kill, B."

**

"I just don't understand why Haley is avoiding me." Peyton said aloud, sipping her drink as Brooke shrugged. "Was it something I said?"

Brooke shook her head. "Tutor Girl's just worried, P Sawyer. She thinks that Lucas isn't in his right frame of mind to be making decisions."

"When is Lucas Scott _ever_ in the right frame of mind?" Alice asked them, Brooke laughing a little and shrugging again as Beth smiled. "I think you can do a _lot_ better, Peyton."

"Thank you for saying it, but I'm happy with Lucas." Peyton told her, reaching over and squeezing Beth's shoulder. "You've been quiet—I was expecting _you_ to take a shot at Lucas, but Alice beat you to it."

Beth laughed it off. "I'm just letting her feel like her time here is being well spent."

The four laughed and then Alice watched as Beth and Brooke both reached for some pretzels in the bowl on the bar and their hands brushed against each others. Brooke was the first one to snap her hand back, Peyton too busy thinking about Haley to even notice. Beth blushed and then bit her lip, Peyton trying to figure out why she felt such a hole inside of her—why her insides were twisting up just because Haley wasn't talking to her.

"You think she's jealous?" Peyton asked suddenly.

Beth smiled at her. "I think she's worried about you—I think Hales cares about your happiness, Peyt."

"I think you're right." Peyton said, smiling and sipping her drink again, Alice nudging her sister with her elbow.

"That girl over there has been checking you out since you got here." Alice whispered to Beth, nodding when Beth gave her a look.

Beth didn't understand why that information was supposed to be important to her. Alice just nudged her again and Beth looked over at her, nodding because the girl was attractive, but Beth wasn't used to that yet. She was still getting used to the fact that she had feelings for Brooke—she was definitely _not_ ready to just go over and flirt with another girl. What in the world was Alice getting at?

"I'm going to borrow my sister for a moment." Alice announced, looking at Brooke as Brooke glanced at Beth softly and then just smiled and nodded.

Beth excused herself and followed her sister towards the band. "What are you up to, Al?"

"You need to hit on that girl eyeing you—trust me." Alice told her.

"But I don't _want_ to." Beth admitted, shrugging as she looked over at the girl eyeing her and stirring her drink.

Alice sighed loudly. "Look, Beth, if you hit on a girl that tells Brooke that you're open to the idea of dating a fellow girl, and if she gets jealous…then that's your 'in' to tell her how you feel. Don't you want to do that?"

"Well it would certainly be easier than just keeping it all to myself…" Beth admitted, biting her lip.

She took a deep breath as she thought the plan over, handing it to her sister—Alice was pretty_ amazing_ at coming up with plans. While she was debating whether or not to go through with it, Brooke was watching her, making a face a she saw the direction that Beth was looking in. She didn't know what the feeling in her stomach was, but she was caught off guard when Peyton nudged her.

"So…you've been awful strange lately." Peyton said, stroking Brooke's hair. "You wanna talk about it?"

Brooke shook her head quickly and forced a smile. "P Sawyer I am _fine_. This is a celebration of hanging out like the old times, so let's not dwell on anything."

"You just look a little jealous is all." Peyton said shrugging, smiling when Brooke looked directly at her and gave her a look. "Anything you want to tell me?"

"I'm not jealous of anyone." Brooke told her pointedly, shaking her head. "What are you getting at here?"

Peyton shrugged and then set her drink down, placing her hands on Brooke's shoulders and looking her in the eye. She knew that look on Brooke's face and though she didn't know exactly _what_ was going on, she knew that she had to say something. Brooke had a habit of being stubborn and keeping her feelings to herself if there was a chance that she would get hurt, and Peyton just wanted to see Brooke _genuinely_ smile again.

"You're conflicted right now, and I want you to talk to me, Brooke." Peyton explained to her. "I want you to feel like you can come to me, about _anything_."

Brooke took a deep breath and looked down, then back up at Peyton. "I _am_ feeling kind of conflicted, Peyton."

"Okay, that's a start." Peyton said with a smile, stroking Brooke's cheek. "So what's going on with you?"

"I just…Beth and I kind of kissed while you were gone." Brooke admitted, looking over to try and find Beth in the crowd and seeing her laughing with a girl at the bar while Alice dance in the crowd to the band. "I don't know how I'm feeling, but I'm just…I don't know what this feeling is."

Peyton nodded and hugged Brooke tightly, nodding against her and then pulling back and looking at Brooke as she watched Beth. The girl at the bar reached out to stroke Beth's hair, and though Beth wasn't actually attracted to the girl, she was pretending. She had to make Brooke believe it so that maybe they could have a talk about it, and maybe…maybe she could tell Brooke how she felt. Peyton smiled a little, noting how sad and lost Brooke looked and she also detected something else in the gaze—unadulterated fondness.

"You need to talk to her about it." Peyton explained, looking over at Beth and nodding. "She obviously doesn't mind playing for the other team. It's a new thing for _both_ of you, and I think that right there shows that she's confused too."

Brooke scoffed. "She doesn't _look_ confused, Peyton."

"She also looks like she'd rather be somewhere else." Peyton told Brooke. "She looks like she's just going through the motions."

"I don't even know how I feel, so I know you're trying to make me feel better but just stop—I don't care what she does." Brooke lied, grabbing her purse off of the bar. "I'm tired and I'm going home."

Brooke went past Peyton towards the exit before Peyton could stop her, Beth looking up and seeing her leave, having been watching her the whole time out of the corner of her eye. Alice joined Peyton at the bar and they watched as Beth excused herself and went after Brooke, looking at each other. They were both pretty certain that something was going to go down when Beth confronted Brooke, but right then there was nothing that they could do.

"You're brilliant plan?" Peyton asked Alice.

Alice took a deep breath. "I just…I wanted them to be able to find a way to _talk_ it out…they both deserve to be happy."

"I agree with you." Peyton said with a nod, lighting up when Haley came into Tric. "I think after everything that all of us have been through, we all deserve that."

"You go talk to Haley and I'm going to go and call my dad." Alice said, patting Peyton's shoulder and smiling at her. "I think tonight's one of those nights."

**Note: Is that…**_**jealousy **_**I detect in Brooke Davis? The next chapter is kind of…well a new character starts some trouble. Feedback is always appreciated!**


	7. Brooke is Trying

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Okay, this chapter is pretty fluffy/angsty, and I hope you like the new developments.**

**I definitely do.**

**This chapter is for Danielle.**

**WARNINGS: Language, Slash, Sensuality, Future f/f**

**ENJOY!**

xxxx

Brooke didn't even know why she was so upset about what was going on with Beth, but she knew that she was. Seeing Beth hit on the girl at the bar was making Brooke feel like she finally had to face the music—she finally had to admit that her feelings for Beth were complicated. Why did she feel like Beth should have been hitting on _her_ instead? Why was this so hard when it didn't need to be?

"Brooke!" Beth called after her.

Brooke stopped and stood where she was without turning around. "What?"

"Well at least you stopped." Beth told her, catching up and taking Brooke's hand in hers.

"What?" Brooke asked again, only this time it was softer.

Beth was running her thumb along Brooke's hand absent-mindedly, Brooke swallowing because it felt nice. Brooke was a little nervous about how happy she felt having her hand in Beth's, and then it hit her—Beth had followed her. She hadn't even been sure that Beth had even been watching her, but Beth _had_ been…and Beth had cared enough to come after Brooke when Brooke had stormed out because of the jealous feelings that were swirling around in her gut.

"You're upset…talk to me." Beth told her, smiling a little when Brooke turned to face her slowly.

Brooke bit her lip. "I just…I'm fine."

"You're _not_ fine, Brooke Davis—you forget that I know you." Beth replied, taking a step closer and glancing at Brooke's mouth, licking her lips at the sight of Brooke biting her lip again.

"I'm just…it was getting all dramatic in there." Brooke said lamely, holding her breath as Beth took another step into Brooke's space.

Brooke looked up and her eyes caught Beth's, catching Beth looking at her mouth and blushing a little bit. She didn't know how she felt about this, but she definitely knew that no matter what happened she was starting to understand that her feelings for Beth were more than just the feelings for a best friend. Beth had always been there for her and Brooke knew that she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss between them for a reason.

Beth had kept Brooke's secret when Brooke had told her too, even when she really hadn't wanted Brooke to lie. Not to mention no matter what Victoria said, Beth stuck by Brooke one hundred percent and made her feel like she was someone who mattered. Brooke smiled a little and reached out to stroke Beth's hair, wondering how on earth she had gotten lucky enough to have Beth on her side.

"Why do you do all these things for me?" Brooke asked Beth.

Beth shrugged and ran her thumb along Brooke's cheek. "I have to."

"No you don't." Brooke told her, shaking her head. "You could be anywhere _but_ here, but you keep coming back. You keeping looking after me. You keep taking care of me. You keep—"

Beth kissed Brooke, cutting off her sentences because Beth wanted Brooke to understand once and for all that she did things for her because of how she felt about her. They weren't drunk this time and Beth knew where she stood, and the fact that Brooke was kissing her back made her smile a bit and pull her closer. Even if she was a little confused, Brooke knew that she was enjoying the kiss and she let Beth wrap her arms around her, trying to figure out the feeling in her stomach.

As Beth ran her tongue along Brooke's bottom lip, Alice shook her head at Lucas as he walked into the bar, taking a deep breath. He _knew_ how Alice felt about him and he knew that he really couldn't make her think any _better_ of him because of what he had pulled years ago and recently. Beth was Brooke's best friend and since Beth thought that Lucas was a douche for stringing Brooke along, the feeling was only intensified where Alice was concerned because she wanted to kill him for making Beth worry.

"I assume if I say 'hello'…I won't be getting anywhere with you?" Lucas asked her.

Alice laughed and nodded. "You would be correct. Until you stop breaking hearts and finally _make a Goddamn decision_, you're pretty much dead to me."

"Oh, because I was alive to you before?" Lucas asked her with a chuckle. "Where's Peyton?"

"Peyton is talking to Haley…or she was—they stepped out a little bit ago." Alice explained to him, leaning on the bar and looking at him. "So…you think you made the right decision?"

Lucas nodded slowly. "Yeah…yeah I do."

"That sounded _amazingly_ sincere." Alice said sarcastically, looking Lucas over and then ordering a beer.

Lucas smiled at her and he nodded, knowing that he shouldn't be finding Alice attractive but he always had. She'd always been the kind of person that spoke her mind and helped people—she was powerful and she was almost the perfect mix of Peyton, Brooke, Haley _and_ Lindsey. Lucas knew that was why he was so drawn to Alice and it unnerved him sometimes because if she had made the effort, he knew that the two of them would be amazing friends…but she didn't really want to have anything to do with him.

"I think it's about time you and I became friends." Lucas said, taking the seat next to Alice.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Yeah? I don't think so."

"Why don't you think so?" Lucas asked her.

"Because you're a pig." Alice replied, smiling at him a little. "I could probably be convinced to _consider_ it if you covered my beer…"

"Done." Lucas told her holding out his hand, both of them smiling and then shaking hands.

xx

"So you haven't been avoiding me?" Peyton asked Haley.

Haley shook her head as they walked along the sidewalk. "Of course not. I'm just worried is all and I'm trying not to let it affect our friendship but obviously I suck at this."

"You don't suck at this Haley!" Peyton assured her, putting her arm around Haley's shoulders and pulling her close, leaning her head on Haley's. "Trust me, you're the _perfect _friend."

"Thanks, Peyton." Haley managed, wishing she wasn't feeling so confused about her…why she was feeling kind of happy to be this close to her.

Peyton kissed the top of her head. "So…how is Brooke?"

Haley shrugged at her. "I think she's been in a space lately that only Beth seems to be able to get into."

"Well I think Brooke needs to rethink where she stands." Peyton agreed, still leaning on Haley.

Peyton had seen the way that Brooke had reacted to Beth hitting on the girl at the bar and she knew something was going on there. She had been surprised to hear about the kiss, but if Beth made Brooke happy then so be it—Brooke deserved happiness. It was kind of inevitable actually. Peyton remembered how Brooke used to talk about Beth nonstop all the time and she just wanted things to work out—she _hated _seeing Brooke upset.

"You know how stubborn Brooke is, Peyton." Haley said with a shrug.

Peyton nodded slowly. "Yeah, but if Beth makes her happy then Brooke needs to go for it."

"You're not just saying this because you want to make sure Brooke can't go for Lucas, are you?" Haley asked her.

"What? Why would you even ask me that?" Peyton asked Haley, pulling her arm away. "What is going on with you, Haley?"

Haley shook her head and just walked ahead of Peyton as Beth and Brooke stumbled in the front door, lips still together, Brooke taking off her jacket. Neither of them had stopped to talk about anything—they didn't see the point in potentially getting into a fight possibly about feelings. All they knew right then was that they felt good about what was happening, and when Beth felt Brooke's fingers fumbling for the buttons on her shirt, Beth nodded a little.

"Brooke are you sure?" Beth asked her.

Brooke took a step back and knew that she didn't understand where their understanding had gone. She thought that they weren't going to talk because things might get awkward or ugly, but things were going _so_ well and she wasn't sure where this conversation was going to go. All she really wanted right then was to keep kissing Beth and to maybe figure out where this was going to go—or how this was going to work since her senses were on fire.

"Doesn't it seem like I'm sure?" Brooke asked Beth.

Beth ran her thumb along Brooke's red lips. "God, I wanna hope so."

"I'm sure." Brooke said nodding, pulling off her shirt and going back to Beth's buttons. "I just…I want this with you."

"Then I need to be honest with you." Beth told her, taking Brooke's hands and stopping her.

Beth didn't want to get into this relationship without Brooke knowing how she felt because she really wanted to be honest with her. If there was one thing that Beth was sure of, it was that she wanted Brooke to understand where she stood because she wanted Brooke to know that she could lean on her. Besides, Beth didn't want this to be some kind of relationship that just fell apart—she didn't want it to be a fling.

"You look like you're getting serious." Brooke told her, feeling her stomach sink a little.

Beth nodded and took a breath. "I love you."

"What?" Brooke asked her.

"You heard me, Brooke—don't pretend like you didn't." Beth said, running her fingers through her own hair as Brooke took her hands back.

Brooke closed her eyes sadly. "I'm not ready for this, Beth."

Even though she had been expecting it, Beth was upset that Brooke had said it like that. After being hurt by Lucas, Brooke wasn't ready to invest herself into another relationship and as much as Beth understood there, she had hoped that after all these years, Brooke would know that Beth was never going to leave her. When Brooke opened up her eyes, she saw the hurt look on Beth's face and she picked her shirt and her jacket up off of the floor, pulling them on.

"Please don't go." Beth told her.

Brooke shook her head. "I have to."

"No you don't, Brooke! Just _talk_ to me." Beth pleaded, stepping into her space again.

"What do you want me to say, Beth? This is all new for me, and it's confusing, and I really definitely do _not_ want to deal with something serious with all this drama floating around me. I mean Haley probably has feelings for Peyton and vice versa, but Haley is married with a son and Peyton's engaged! Not to mention you were actually just hitting on someone else tonight!" Brooke explained to her.

Beth shook her head. "That was Alice's plan and it worked—you have feelings for me and now I finally know…I'm confused too, Brooke. You're not the only one."

"I know, I know, I just…I need to think instead of getting caught up in my hormones." Brooke told her, taking a deep breath and then slowly, she left Beth's, Beth sitting on the couch and putting her head in her hands.

**Note: So there you have it! Angsty but feelings are out there! And what is up with Lucas and Alice? Feedback is always appreciated!**


	8. Turning Over a New Leaf

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

**Thank you guys for all of the feedback!**

**This chapter is **_**also**_** for my darling Danielle to make up for her terribly rotten, no good, very bad day yesterday, and cause I love her—love you, honey!**

**WARNINGS: Language, Slash, Sensuality, Future f/f**

**ENJOY!**

xxxx

Alice was feeling pretty bad about hanging out with Lucas behind _everyone's_ backs, but she was doing just that. She was trying to escape the drama all around her: Brooke upset she hadn't stayed with Beth that night they gave in to the idea of liking each other, Haley crushing on Peyton harder and harder but not "allowed" to do anything about it, Brooke reaching out to Samantha per Haley's plead—it was all too much for Alice. She liked being in _charge_ of situations, and with Lucas, it was pretty obvious that _she_ owned _him_.

Lucas wasn't even sure _why_ he was so infatuated with Alice because she'd never been _nice_ to him. She had had it out against him for so long that he couldn't even imagine _why_ he wanted to be her friend, but he knew that she was just protective—he knew that someone beneath all of that venom was a heart. So he had tried to push _all_ of the thoughts away and just looked at her, Alice raising her eyebrows at him because she didn't really _like_ being stared at.

"Are you a vulture?" Alice asked him.

Lucas smirked a little. "Maybe—you must be a dead thing if I'm hanging around here."

"Was that intended to sting, because I'm actually quite flattered." Alice told him with a little smile, sipping her drink. "We're going to play pool."

"Seriously?" Lucas asked, shaking his head and then standing up. "I take it I have absolutely _no_ choice in the matter?"

Alice smiled and shook her head. "Absolutely none."

Lucas chuckled and then just nodded, going over to the pool table with Alice as Peyton barged into the back room of the store. Brooke looked up at her and smiled a little, but it faded when she saw the face that Peyton was sporting and she stood up, crossing over to her. Peyton meant business—that much was obvious—but she also looked like she was hurt and Brooke knew that it was time to be ready to pick up the pieces if she had to because Peyton was her best friend.

"What is wrong with you?" Peyton asked Brooke directly.

Brooke bit her lip. "A lot of things—want my list?"

"Don't try to be cute." Peyton said as she laughed a little, shaking her head. "The girl _loves_ you and you're just brushing her off."

"I am _not_ brushing Beth off." Brooke told Peyton, pointing a finger in her direction. "Beth and I are still working together and brainstorming, we're just…not in a relationship exactly."

Peyton sighed loudly. "Brooke I'm tired of you putting everyone else above yourself, all right? Just trust her and try it out and do this for _you_."

Brooke made a face and then ran her fingers through her hair exasperatedly, nodding slowly because she knew that Peyton was right. Beth had always been there for her and she had always made it a point to put Brooke's needs first, and yet she was willing to go after what she wanted…and she wanted _Brooke_. So since Brooke had the same feelings for Beth, why was it so hard for her to just give in and be with Beth? Honestly? Brooke _wanted_ Beth.

"There's something else." Brooke told Peyton, completely changing the subject.

Peyton sighed loudly. "It's Lucas—he's spending a _lot_ of time with Alice."

"Oh…well you don't have to worry about that." Brooke explained, sitting back down and looking at her sketches.

"No?" Peyton asked her, letting her purse slide off of her shoulder and then dropping it by the leg of the table, sitting down across from Brooke and giving her a look.

Brooke laughed a little. "Alice _hates_ Lucas' _guts_. If looks could kill—he'd be dead. If murder was legal—he'd be dead. Just…you do _not_ need to get jealous P Sawyer—I _promise_ you this."

"Fine…if you say so." Peyton said, and then she looked up as Haley knocked and she beamed at her.

Brooke _knew_ that look and she smiled a bit, nodding and going back to her sketch as Haley asked Peyton out to coffee. It was just as friends, but Brooke knew that Haley wished that she could be doing this as more of date. Ever since Brooke had confided in her about everything happening with Beth, Haley had been a little more able to admit to herself that she had a thing for Peyton—she just wasn't ready to admit it out loud and knew she probably never would be.

"Have fun, guys." Brooke told them and they nodded and headed off.

xxxx

Normally Beth enjoyed catching up with her father over the phone, but the last conversation had been pretty bad. She had come clean to him about being in love with Brooke and the conversation had taken a turn for the worst and she was devastated, eating ice cream out of the corner and watching a movie when Alice walked in. Alice took one look at her sister and then sat down next to her and took the spoon out of her hand, eating it and then looking at _**Willy Wonka**_ on the TV screen.

"So…what is going on?" Alice asked her sister as Beth made a noise. "You talk to Brooke yet?"

Beth shook her head. "No, I took the day off today…I kind of told Dad how I feel about Brooke and he freaked out. He wants me to find a nice guy, get married, have some kids…why doesn't he understand that I want Brooke? How hard is that for him to see past?"

"At least you don't find Lucas charming." Alice said with a sigh.

"Whoa! Duck and cover, the bombs are coming down!" Beth told her laughing a little and blotting her wet eyes. "I kind of feel like Hell just froze over."

Alice nodded and ate another spoonful of ice cream. "You and me both. I just, uh…he argued with me over pool. Lucas Scott _argued_ with _me_."

Beth took a breath and took it all in, nodding slowly and then taking her spoon back and laughing, shaking her head. The thing about Alice was that she was used to having her way. Ever since she had asserted her independence, she had pretty much been in control of her own life because though their aunt got involved sometimes, mainly she let Alice do whatever as long as it wasn't putting her in mortal danger. Lucas arguing with Alice was apparently a turn on for Alice.

Alice had expected to be attracted—she thought that Lucas Scott was a pig—but he had _argued_ with her and chuckled after saying his piece. He wasn't trying to be mean, he wasn't trying to be rude…he was trying to be her friend…he was _flirting_ with her and he was _engaged_ to Peyton. So the fact that he _was_ the pig that Alice thought he was and she was _attracted_ to him, made her stomach queasy and so she got up and went into the kitchen, grabbing a spoon of her own and going back to the couch to sit with her older sister groaning.

"What now?" Beth asked her taking spoonful.

Alice pointed at the TV. "This movie always makes me want chocolate bars and gobstoppers and jawbreakers."

"There's a Sweet Factory a couple blocks down if you wanna walk there with me—it's the DVD." Beth explained with a shrug.

"I like this plan." Alice said, nodding quickly.

Beth smiled and put the ice cream away, both of them grabbing their coats and heading to the door, Beth opening it as Brooke stood there, about to knock. She smiled a little and Alice smiled too and nodded, looking at Beth and then back at Brooke and deciding that she was going to have to go and get candy on her own. It was pretty obvious by the looks on their faces that they were going to talk, and that meant that Alice was going to have to watch the rest of the movie by herself.

"I'm going to go to the Sweet Factory and you guys do whatever." Alice told her, smiling at Brooke. "Hope you had a pleasant day."

Brooke smiled back at her. "You too, Alice—have fun."

"I always do." Alice replied with a nod, and headed past Brooke, out onto the sidewalk.

When Brooke looked back at Beth, Beth motioned her inside and took off her coat, Brooke taking hers off too. It was a sign that Brooke meant to stay awhile and Beth relaxed a bit, glad to see Brooke and enjoying the outfit she was wearing that day. Brooke had noted that Beth had been sad and she walked up to her, Beth smiling a little when Brooke reached up to stroke her cheek.

"What's wrong?" Brooke asked her.

Beth shrugged a little. "Nothing, I just…I told my Dad about my feelings for you and he's not too happy—you understand that though."

"Yeah…when I tell Victoria, she's not going to be too happy either, but then again it could make good publicity—there's nothing more Hoes over Bros than this." Brooke said with a small laugh, Beth joining in. "I came to apologize."

"I surmised as much." Beth told her, kissing her gently. "Talk to me?"

Brooke smiled a little. "Where to begin?"

"The beginning is the best place to start, I think." Beth whispered.

Brooke nodded slowly and then kissed her again, not wanting to talk about it, but definitely wanting to kiss Beth. Beth didn't mind because she knew that Brooke was trying and it was better than the last time they'd kissed and Brooke had run off because she was so afraid of commitment. So Beth just ran her fingers through Brooke's hair and kissed her softly, Brooke resting her forehead against Beth's.

"You're going to have to be patient with me, Beth." Brooke explained slowly.

Beth smiled and nodded, kissing her again. "I'll wait as long as it takes."

**Note: There you go, some fluff! We're getting to close to yet another realm I'm not exactly versed in, so be kind and yet give me feedback when we get there so I know what to improve on. Feedback is always appreciated!**


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